High Shoals Waterfall

Air Temperature
46ºF
Soil Temperature
49ºF

GPS Coordinates
34 49.325N, 83 43.324W

resized_hs_falls_pic.jpg
Photo taken by Jeremy Erikson on 10/17/09

Soil Information

Soil Weight with Tin
188.7 grams
Soil color
10yr2/2
Very Dark Brown
Texture
Sandy Clay

pH
6.5
Very Slighty Acidic

SANY0328.JPG
Image taken by Owens Fuquea on 10/17/09
This magnificent waterfall is located at the end of the High Shoals Trail; it sits in a clearing among the thick forest that surrounds it. The soil located around the waterfall is very dark brown in color and has a sandy clay texture. The soils found here are quite similar to that of Stop 1, but the soils here have higher clay content and a lower amount of silt (Discovering Physical Geography). Interestingly the air temperature here was the highest of the four that were recorded in spite of the fact that the falls are at the lowest elevation. This is probably due to the fact that unlike the first three stops there is a rather large clearing in this area due to the falls. High Shoals Waterfall is an example of a Cascade Waterfall. This waterfall is considered a Cascade Waterfall, because the water falls in stages and stays relatively close to the existing metamorphic rock (How Stuff Works). Due to the relative low amounts of water flow, Cascade Waterfalls have a tendency to be only well known in the region in which the actual waterfall is located. Some examples of this that we found this are the Silver Cascade Waterfalls in New Hampshire which is roughly seven times the size of High Shoals (Northeastwaterfalls.com). Another example of a Cascade Waterfall that is found in Georgia, and is also one of Georgia most well known waterfalls, Amicalola Falls, which stands about seven times taller then High Shoals Waterfall as well (Gastateparks.org).Though not clearly visible in the above picture the water surges around the rock outcrop at the top of waterfall (it is at the top left in the picture) about once every 30 seconds, while it flows over the rest of the waterfall at a steady rate. This waterfall produces a great amount of water spray relative to its overall size due to a boulder that is located about two thirds the ways down the face of the waterfall. High Shoals Waterfall is approximately 100 feet tall (Mountain Travel Guide).


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Image taken by Levi Sexton on 10/24/09


Arbogast .Alan. Discovering Physical Geography. New York: Wiley, 2007. Print.

Fuller, John. "How Waterfalls Work.". HowStuffWorks.com. 30 March 2008.HowStuffWorks.com.
24. Nov. 2009.
<http://geography.howstuffworks.com/terms-and-associations/waterfall2.htm>.

Goss. Dean.”Silver Cascade”.Northeastwaterfalls.com.2005. Dean Goss.08.Dec. 2009.
<http://www.northeastwaterfalls.com/waterfall.php?num=355&p=0>.

“Amicalola Falls State Park and Lodge”.Gastateparks.org .2009.Georgia Department of Natural Resources.08. Dec. 2009.
<http://gastateparks.org/info/amicalola/>.

“Towns County Georgia Waterfalls”. 24 Nov. 2009.Mountain Travel Guide.04 Sep. 2009.
<http://www.mountaintravelguide.com/Waterfalls/georgia/towns/High%20Shoals%20Falls.htm>.







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